RKO Keith's Richmond Hill
117-09 Hillside Avenue,
Richmond Hill,
NY
11418
117-09 Hillside Avenue,
Richmond Hill,
NY
11418
20 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 522 comments found
Luis, I completely agree with you. And Radio City was another theater I loved to see a movie in as a kid. I saw a few films there as a kid, and my parents took me to a movie there in the late 70’s when they were going to close Radio City. It was supposed to be the last movie to be screened there. Luckily the theater was saved. The last movie I saw there was The Lion King in the early 90’s, when Disney premiered it there.
The Elmwood was another theater I liked. And yes, the curtain thing at the Zeigfeld is great. I used to go there a lot too. The Trylon on Queens Blvd still did the curtain thing to until it’s unfortunate demise.
Marvelous article Panzer65. It is much appreciated. The RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill can still be saved since it is largely intact minus the seats of course. I fear that it is inevitable that the building will eventually be gutted and used for retail if nothing is done to prevent it. We must act swiftly to obtain landmark status.
George
Nice Post B'way. You got me to thinking which theater got ME intersted in theaters and my answer is Loews Valencia in Jamaica with Radio City a close second. They were two theaters that it almost didn’t matter what was on screen. The space itself was enough entertainment. It saddens me that today’s youth (I’m turning 50 this year and still consider myself young btw) will never know what it was like to go to a movie palace to see regular films; or more importantly, to have a grand choice of palaces to pick from.
While I remember attending occassional films at the Valencia, Radio City, Elmwood, Loews State, I’ll even throw in the Loews Astor Plaza, most of the theaters that I went too were the crummy nabe theaters like the Lefferts, Crossbay and Casino. If only I had the appreciation for theaters then that I do now, I would have had a chance to have seen movies at so many of the palaces that are long gone today.
My partner chuckles about how excited everyone gets at The Ziegfeld when the curtains are closed….then opened before a film. He finds it amazing that anyone cares about that (He’s from Texas!) :–)
But, it is a big deal. Few theaters are truly part of the show anymore. Virtually no theaters do the curtain thing anymore and I absolutely love it when I see it done at the Ziegfeld. Yes, it is one of the main reasons I go there as frequently as I do. It brings me back to the heydey of movie palaces.
Well, I’ve gone off topic. While I grew up in Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens, I have never had a chance to explore the inside of the Keiths. I’ve been in the lobby and, of course, seen all of the photos. This theater deserves to be saved. Unfortuantely, it has to be able to support itself financially. Who is going to come up with the funds necessary for a proper restoration and expect to get it back; especially in these hard times.
It’s encouraging that the Shore Theater in Brooklyn is getting attention. The Kings is in city hands and I am hopeful that it too will be restored. The Paramount is safely in LIU’s hands and it too, may be restored to the public and the other Ketihs in Flushing has a grass roots movement to save it from the wrecking ball. So there is still hope for the Keiths Richmond Hill.
It’s the theater that got me interested in theaters….
Ever since I first walked in there as a kid when I went to a flea market with my parents there, I was hooked. As intact as it is now, it was even more intact in the early 80’s. The ceiling still had it’s original gold leaf paint, and colors. The side walls were painted beige to about ¾ up of the walls. It was a magical place in all it’s diamond in the rough glory. It still is.
Glad you liked it..any theater fan should visit the Keith’s, its a magnificent step back into history.
Great article! Thanks for posting it…
Another former Queens theater, the Elmwood, now a beautiful church,also had a parking lot adjacent to the premises, which is now an apartment complex.
Nice find Panzer65. I wasn’t aware that the Keith’s had a parking lot in the rear at one time. Interesting that the article states that the last movie to play at the Keith’s was “Reflections in a Golden Eye” which conflicts with the information posted on Mar 18, 2009 at 7:55am.
A local newspaper clipping from the Glory Days of the Keith’s.
View link
George….You might want to check with NativeForestHiller about getting the Keith’s landmarked. He has been through the process before and could give you some pointers.
Indeed Luis V & Panzer65. Perhaps it is time to consider landmark status for the RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill. How much longer can bingo sustain the new owners investment? The photo is much appreciated Lost Memory. While the photo of the booth is disturbing at first, it is further proof that much of the original theatre is intact. Landmark status for the RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill should be a high priority.
George
I completely agree Panzer65. My fear is that the current owner (who bought this theater recently) will probably claim economic hardship. I just don’t see how this theater can survive long term as a flea market/bingo hall. Yes, it has survived decades under this format, but that was under the old owner, who presumably had a much lower operating cost because he had owned the theater for so long. The new owner probably has a significant mortgage that must be paid. I really fear for this theater.
The same fate that consumed the Ridgewood and Jahn’s Ice Cream parlor could very well happen to this well preserved specimen. The time is now to consider landmark status for the Keith’s.
This link has a 1938 photo of the Keith’s Richmond Hill.
I wonder if the economy is hurting the bingo players. Probably not. Some of those hardcore players would play bingo if they had to use their food money to play.
It’s probably an endangered palace as Luis said, but the downturn in the economy may have bought some time….
Hi George, I’m afraid that I have no new information about this theater. In recent months I was visiting frequently because I was trying to rent out an apartment I own in Kew Gardens. Now that I finally have a new tenant (whew!) I have no reason to go back for another 2 years. Alas, I have not seen anything new in print about the current status of the Keiths either. I suppose that’s not necessarily bad news. However, we need to keep on close eye on this endangered palace.
RE: Bway. Your explanation about lack of notifications is much appreciated. To my friend Luis, is there anything new concerning our beloved RKO Keith’s theatre? Are bingo games still conducted here?
George
Just commenting to get future comments.
Just commenting to get future comments.
George, here’s the “problem” explained. Basically, you just have to make a new comment in any theater you want to continue to recieve notifications from. Any theater you didn’t comment in after around March 15th, you won’t get the notifications from unless you make a new message. You can click your name to for an easy access to the list of theaters you commented in, but you have to make a new message in any of the ones you want to keep updated on.
Here’s the link to what happened:
http://cinematreasures.org/news/20835_0_1_0_M11/
Indeed the aluminum siding covering the marquee gave it a hideous appearance. Perhaps it was done to disguise the fact that this was a former theatre. I have not received any new messages from this blog. Have notifications been halted?
George
Thanks….my email notifications for that theater aren’t on yet, haha. I will check it out now….I am slowly moving up my list of theaters as the weeks go on, slowly trying to get the notifications turned back on.
Thanks Bway. While your here, take a look at the photos for the RKO Keith’s in Flushing. That theater was a triplex when the photos were taken.
Yes. I didn’t realize the old marquee was under there. It wasn’t until the movie company that was filming a movie there in the 2000’s wanted an old look, and removed the aluminum, and to everyone’s surprise the original, and intact marquee was still under there. The marquee was then at least cosmetically restored, and remained as the Bingo hall sign until the new current owner so uncerimoniously destroyed the RKO Keiths lettering.